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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spring — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pit — a hole
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pop — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pop — soda

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