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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bore — to tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. row — to paddle
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — to drill
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. season — of the year
  22. stem — to come from
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — a permit

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