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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. charge — a price
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — in control
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stem — to come from
  12. craft — boats
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. land — ground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — electricity
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — in football
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. land — a country
  24. staff — employees

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