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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. present — the time now
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — a gift
  13. shower — rain
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — there
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fan — a supporter

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