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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — in a race
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — for digging
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. press — a publisher
  22. perch — the fish
  23. press — to push
  24. pass — a permit

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