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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stem — to come from
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. press — newspapers
  23. game — a match
  24. saw — the tool

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