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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lash — an eyelash

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