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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mouse — for a computer

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