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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. press — to push
  3. bore — to drill
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. field — a subject
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — to be able to
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wax — to grow

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