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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — clothes
  17. race — a contest
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. file — a tool
  22. spring — of water
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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