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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rash — a series
  24. stem — of a plant

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