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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stem — of a plant

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