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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. suit — to fit
  7. dip — to sink
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — magic
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. spell — a short time

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