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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cold — not warm
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. snap — to click
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. present — there
  13. stem — to come from
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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