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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. spring — the season
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — to tire
  22. suit — clothes
  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