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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — a break
  3. object — an aim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — to push
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stem — to come from
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — to protest
  16. press — a publisher
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bore — to tire
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — a thing

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