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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. capital — a city
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. toast — bread
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wax — to grow
  14. capital — money
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bore — to drill
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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