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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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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — child
  9. drill — army training
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — for sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a ring
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. field — a subject
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a music group
  24. ruler — a monarch

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