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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · cue · bore · saw · pound · capital · safe · stem

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bore — to drill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pound — a weight
  12. capital — money
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. capital — a city
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bore — to tire
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — of a plant

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