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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chest — a box
  10. cue — a hint
  11. present — there
  12. bear — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. present — the time now
  22. race — a contest
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rash — hasty

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