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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — a match
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rock — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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