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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. spring — the season
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kick — in football
  12. spring — of water
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cell — in biology
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — the tool

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