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

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cap — a hat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cap — of ice
  9. press — to push
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stem — to come from
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bass — the fish

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