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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wake — a trail
  12. band — a ring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. board — to get on

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