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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. press — a publisher
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — to push
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — size or range
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — in music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stem — to come from
  17. race — a contest
  18. press — newspapers

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