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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — an aim
  9. wind — moving air
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — a hint
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — to protest
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — a thing
  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