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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — newspapers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. press — to push
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pop — music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fine — high quality
  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