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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stem — to come from
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. current — happening now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — electric
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lean — thin
  18. net — after costs
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — for catching

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