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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. cue — a signal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cue — for pool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. season — in sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to tire
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. perch — for a bird

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