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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: staff · fan · kick · pit · wake · wound · stem · bore

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — to come from
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fan — a supporter

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