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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hide — animal skin
  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