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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. press — a publisher
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. face — to point toward
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. object — an aim
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fork — in a road
  15. object — a thing
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. face — to confront
  18. bore — to drill
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — to push
  23. object — to protest
  24. jam — in traffic

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