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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. present — there
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. charge — a price
  10. board — to get on
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. charge — in control
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — a committee
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — a gift
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — a stick
  24. clip — to cut

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