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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — thin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — clever
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. game — wild animals
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cue — a signal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. safe — out of danger
  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