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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bore — to tire
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a line
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mate — a friend
  18. row — to paddle
  19. object — a thing
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bore — to drill
  23. object — an aim
  24. stem — of a plant

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