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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. file — a document
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. game — wild animals
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — a committee
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. game — a match
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bore — to tire

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