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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cue — a signal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. nail — on a finger

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