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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — for sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chest — of your body

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