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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. band — a music group
  3. row — a line
  4. band — a ring
  5. press — to push
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — a tool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. tube — a container
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stem — to come from

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