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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. current — happening now
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pass — a permit
  16. content — happy
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. content — the amount
  19. bore — to drill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bore — gave birth

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