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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. field — for sport
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. dip — to sink
  14. field — farmland
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. leaves — to go away

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