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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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