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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. band — a ring
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ball — a dance
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lie — an untruth

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