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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ground — a position
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — crushed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — child
  17. ground — the earth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. drill — army training
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tear — to rip

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