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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chest — a box
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mug — to rob
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bore — to drill
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a cup

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