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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. season — of the year
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — in sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stem — to come from
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stock — goods
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stock — shares
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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