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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 120 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rock — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. land — a country
  12. press — to push
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — a position
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. land — ground
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ground — crushed

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