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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. march — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — the season
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — the season
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rash — a series
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — of water
  24. fork — a garden tool

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