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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rash — hasty
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. club — for golf
  7. bore — to tire
  8. season — of the year
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mug — a face
  14. season — in sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. club — a group
  20. bore — to drill
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. season — to add flavour

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