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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — to protest
  6. board — to get on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. object — an aim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. object — a thing
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — a friend
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — a city
  22. press — to push
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mate — a partner

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