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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — ground
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. key — in music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — help
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cap — a lid

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