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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. root — the cause
  8. file — a document
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bore — to tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. press — a publisher
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — to push
  16. clip — to cut
  17. root — of a word
  18. stem — to come from
  19. file — a line of people
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to drill
  23. file — a tool
  24. clip — a video

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