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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. land — to come down
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — to come from
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. row — a line
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. land — ground

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