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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bore — to tire
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to drill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bass — low music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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