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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bat — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stem — to come from
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bound — certain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — newspapers
  24. hand — help

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