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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. kid — child
  10. bore — to tire
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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