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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stock — shares

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