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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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