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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mug — a face
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mine — an explosive

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