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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kid — to tease
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. present — the time now
  7. kid — child
  8. present — a gift
  9. rule — government
  10. bore — to drill
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. present — there
  13. scale — in music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rule — a law
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — a line
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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