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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. firm — decided
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bore — to drill
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stock — goods
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — to tire
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — in football
  18. game — a match
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. firm — steady
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. kick — with a leg

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