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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — the fish
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pop — soda
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spring — of water
  24. bass — low music

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