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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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stem — to come from
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — to push
  23. squash — to crush
  24. press — newspapers

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