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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — steady
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. tube — a container
  21. capital — money
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stem — to come from
  24. capital — a city

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