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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bore — to tire
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth

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