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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stem — to come from
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — a price
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cap — of ice
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cap — a hat
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — a supporter

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