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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — music
  3. spring — the season
  4. cap — a lid
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — government
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rule — a law
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. can — to be able to

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