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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kid — to tease
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — a face
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kid — child
  17. march — the month
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. march — music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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