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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — to tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. land — ground
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. land — to come down
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. drill — the tool
  24. land — a country

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