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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. race — a contest
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. race — humankind
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. race — the arms race
  24. staff — a stick

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