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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. season — of the year
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. season — in sport
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mug — a face

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