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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. shower — rain
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — in control
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. charge — a price
  16. rash — a series
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mouse — the animal

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