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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — a path
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wound — an injury
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a dance
  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