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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bore — to drill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — to crush
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stem — to come from
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — gave birth

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