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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rock — music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — to sink
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chest — a box
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tube — a container
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stem — of a plant

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