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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rule — government
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stand — to bear
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — the animal

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