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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bore — to tire
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stem — to come from
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to click

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