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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stem — to come from
  6. charge — electricity
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. charge — in control
  9. stand — to bear
  10. charge — a price
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. press — to push
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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