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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. net — after costs
  6. craft — boats
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bore — to tire
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. net — for catching
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stem — to come from
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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