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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. present — there
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — to push
  15. key — in music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hide — to keep secret

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