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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. capital — money
  8. date — the fruit
  9. track — a song
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. track — a path
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — hurry
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. capital — a city
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. capital — a big letter

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