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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rest — a break
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. object — a thing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. object — an aim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. object — to protest
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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