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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · stem · cap · sharp · bear · straw · saw · lie

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cap — of ice
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. straw — dry grass

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