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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chest — of your body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — after costs
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. chest — a box
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stand — to bear
  23. net — in sport
  24. date — the fruit

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