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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: mug · pound · season · bear · last · stem · straw · scale

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. last — final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mug — a cup
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mug — to rob
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stem — to come from
  24. last — finally

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