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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bore — to drill
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bat — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. kick — in football
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bore — to tire
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — thin
  24. stem — to come from

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