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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — a thing
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kick — in football
  23. rash — hasty
  24. object — an aim

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