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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rule — a law
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — a publisher
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. ball — a great time

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