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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. press — to push
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. swing — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rush — hurry
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rock — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. swing — to play on
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rush — a thrill

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