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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rule — government
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bore — to tire

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