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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — clothes
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. band — a music group
  21. rest — a break
  22. bore — to drill
  23. land — a country
  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