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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — a country
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stem — to come from
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hand — in cards
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ruler — for measuring

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