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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mark — a grade
  3. file — a document
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. drill — a practice
  9. present — a gift
  10. file — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — a company
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — there
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — a trace
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. drill — army training
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. file — a line of people

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