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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. scale — in music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. press — newspapers
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. snap — to click
  24. press — to push

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