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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cell — a phone
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. swing — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wound — an injury

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