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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — a company
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. firm — steady
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — a series
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spell — magic
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. firm — decided
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — letters
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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