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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pop — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. tube — a container
  21. press — to push
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. plane — a tool

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