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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — to play on
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ground — a position
  14. swing — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — in golf
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. present — there
  24. can — a tin

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