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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: stem · mate · rash · clip · sharp · bear · bowl · drill

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. clip — a video
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. drill — a practice
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rash — hasty
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stem — to come from
  20. drill — army training
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bear — the animal

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