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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — a break
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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