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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. season — in sport
  4. mug — a face
  5. cap — a hat
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fine — all right
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stem — to come from

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