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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. bound — certain
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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