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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — to come from
  6. press — a publisher
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a match
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — newspapers
  22. track — a path
  23. press — to push
  24. track — to keep track

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