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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.

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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 · cold · ruler · ground · craft · season · bore · bound

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — a position
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bore — to drill
  9. craft — boats
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bound — certain
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stem — of a plant

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