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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — magic
  10. object — an aim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mug — a cup
  15. snap — to click
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. current — happening now
  21. spell — letters
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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