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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rule — a law
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — letters
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — a break
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. kid — child
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com