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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · temple · scale · stem · date · toast · ground · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ground — a position
  7. press — to push
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. scale — in music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. scale — size or range
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. toast — bread
  18. ground — crushed
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ground — the earth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. temple — a place of worship

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