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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. clip — a video
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. court — of a king
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chair — a leader
  13. roll — a list
  14. court — for sport
  15. toast — bread
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mug — a face
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mug — a cup
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. clip — to cut
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. clip — for paper

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