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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — a line
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stem — to come from
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stem — a stem cell

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