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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — clever
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cap — a lid
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. row — a quarrel

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