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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. file — a tool
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a document
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — to tire
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a song
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. track — to keep track

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