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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
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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: mine · lash · date · cap · stem · bore · pop · mug

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pop — music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mug — a face
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pop — soda
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mine — an explosive

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