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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. press — newspapers
  3. file — a line of people
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. field — farmland
  8. fork — in a road
  9. file — a document
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. field — a subject
  14. row — a line
  15. mark — a trace
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — for sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fork — a garden 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