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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mark — a trace
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stock — shares
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stem — a stem cell

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