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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · press · bore · present · file · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. 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. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rest — a break
  5. file — a document
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. present — there
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — to drill
  10. present — the time now
  11. press — a publisher
  12. file — a tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. 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