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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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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. date — the fruit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pop — soda
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pop — music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spring — of water

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