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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. march — the month
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. march — music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. track — a path
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bore — to tire
  22. can — to be able to
  23. track — a song
  24. stem — of a plant

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