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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 124 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. swing — music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bore — to tire
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — a friend
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stem — of a plant

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