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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hand — help
  21. bear — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — clever

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