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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. present — a gift
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pound — a weight
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bore — to drill
  19. present — the time now
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. present — there
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stem — a stem cell

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