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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — soda
  13. stock — goods
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bound — tied together
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bore — to tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bound — certain
  23. stock — shares
  24. pop — music

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