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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. capital — a city
  3. row — to paddle
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. race — humankind
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. row — a line
  19. net — in sport
  20. press — to push
  21. race — a contest
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — money

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