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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — there
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pop — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pop — to visit
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pop — soda
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a face
  23. present — the time now
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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