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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. last — to go on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. last — final
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. field — farmland
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — a subject
  18. roll — a cake
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bore — to tire
  21. last — finally
  22. field — for sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. foot — part of the body

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