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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. shower — rain
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stand — to bear
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stem — to come from
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pound — to hit hard

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