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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — the season
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tube — a container

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