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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cap — a hat
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. capital — a city
  16. hand — help
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. capital — money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cap — a lid
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. suit — clothes

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