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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bound — certain
  3. season — of the year
  4. firm — steady
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. bound — tied together
  11. race — a contest
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. race — humankind

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