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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. clip — a video
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. clip — to cut

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