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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bore — to tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stock — shares
  11. spring — the season
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spring — of water
  24. stem — to come from

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