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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. game — a match
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — a thing
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pass — a permit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — an aim
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kid — child
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  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