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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. spell — letters
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — an aircraft

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