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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. object — a thing
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. object — to protest
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. object — an aim
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. press — newspapers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a music group
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bore — to drill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — to push

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