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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. spell — magic
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. shower — rain
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spell — letters
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pit — in a race

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