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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — to drill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stock — goods
  11. bound — certain
  12. stock — shares
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bore — to tire
  18. press — to push
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — rain
  23. chip — to eat
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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