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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fall — to drop
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. shower — rain
  12. fall — to drop
  13. swing — in golf
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fall — the season
  22. swing — to play on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — of a river

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