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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. key — the most important part
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — a trace
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — a list
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. charge — a price
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — in control
  17. cold — an illness
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cell — a phone

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