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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. object — an aim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spring — of water
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bore — to tire
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hide — to keep secret

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