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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.

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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — in golf
  7. season — in sport
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. swing — to play on
  20. season — of the year
  21. swing — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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