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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 116 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: bore · stem · mouse · rock · clip · mine · suit · kid

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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 drill
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rock — music
  6. clip — to cut
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — a video
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mine — belonging to me

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