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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stem — to come from
  11. court — of a king
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. court — for sport
  18. press — to push
  19. kick — in football
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. court — of law
  24. press — a publisher

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