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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 124 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
468
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: hide · pitch · bore · jam · bound · date · stem · snap

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bound — tied together
  3. snap — to click
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitch — completely
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — obliged
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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