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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — a position
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. present — there
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — a hat

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