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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bore — to drill
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pit — a hole
  17. land — a country
  18. press — to push
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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