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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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