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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. present — there
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. snap — to click
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. present — the time now
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — to come from

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