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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spring — of water
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lean — thin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rush — hurry
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — a coil

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