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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to drill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — a path
  21. fork — in a road
  22. craft — boats
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. straw — dry grass

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