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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — size or range
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. snap — to click
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — to push
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. press — a publisher
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. scale — in music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fine — high quality
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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