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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fine — all right
  12. shower — rain
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bore — to tire

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