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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — magic
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — a container
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pound — a weight
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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