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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. clip — a video
  10. bore — to tire
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. scale — for weighing

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