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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spring — the season
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. cell — a phone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lean — thin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — a thrill

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