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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. roll — a list
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kid — child
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fine — all right
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stem — a stem cell

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