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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pass — to spend time

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