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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. press — to push
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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