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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stem — to come from
  8. content — happy
  9. bore — to drill
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pop — soda
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. content — the amount
  18. bore — to tire
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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