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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cold — an illness
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cold — not warm
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — certain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fall — the season
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cabinet — ministers

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