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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — army training
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — a face
  24. drill — a practice

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