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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.

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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 · bulb · clip · deal · staff · bore · content · mug

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — to come from
  3. clip — a video
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bulb — for light
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — employees
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. clip — to cut
  24. content — happy

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