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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: tear · calf · stand · bore · fork · press · stem · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — to push
  19. bore — to drill
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. tear — from crying

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