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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — in football
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — electric
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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