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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pop — music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. season — of the year
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bore — to drill
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pop — to visit

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