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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — to tire
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. band — a music group
  14. ground — a position
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — a list
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. band — a ring
  19. bore — to drill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ground — crushed
  24. roll — on a roll

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