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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rock — a stone
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — to push
  12. rock — music
  13. court — for sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — a publisher
  16. court — of law
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rash — a series
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of a king

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