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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kid — child
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. kid — to tease
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bear — the animal

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