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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stem — to come from
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — happy
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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