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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. band — a ring
  3. stem — to come from
  4. object — to protest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. field — farmland
  10. band — a music group
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. object — a thing
  14. field — for sport
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. object — an aim
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rule — government

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