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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. march — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bear — the animal

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