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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. suit — to fit
  5. kid — child
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rest — a break
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. game — a match
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — to come from
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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