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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — help
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — a line
  23. rush — hurry
  24. court — for sport

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