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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rash — a series
  7. kid — child
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stem — to come from

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