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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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. present — there
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. net — for catching
  7. bore — to drill
  8. court — of a king
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. present — the time now
  14. rash — hasty
  15. present — a gift
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — a series
  19. lie — to recline
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — for sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bore — to tire

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