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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cue — for pool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. coach — a trainer

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