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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spell — letters
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — of water
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cue — for pool

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