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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. season — of the year
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — a publisher
  5. degree — from a university
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rest — a break
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. degree — an amount
  21. press — to push
  22. degree — temperature
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — to add flavour

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