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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. squash — the vegetable

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