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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — to come down
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. land — a country
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rock — a stone
  24. calf — a young 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