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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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Word bank
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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: bear · stem · bore · chip · field · rest · lie · press

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bore — to tire
  6. field — farmland
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. press — newspapers
  17. field — for sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. press — to push
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to drill
  24. field — a subject

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