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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — high quality
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a great time
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fine — all right
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. press — a publisher
  21. roll — a list
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stem — to come from

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