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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rule — a law
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — government
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — money
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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