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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fine — all right
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — a hint
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tear — from crying

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