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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 124 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. perch — the fish
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a music group
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bass — low music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. band — a ring
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — the fish

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