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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: rush · bay · hide · key · stem · clip · bore · race

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — in music
  8. clip — a video
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. clip — for paper
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rush — hurry
  18. clip — to cut
  19. race — humankind
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. race — a contest
  24. hide — to keep secret

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