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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tear — to rip
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. press — a publisher

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