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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. suit — clothes
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to drill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pop — to visit
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to click
  18. pop — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — a match
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. band — a music group

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