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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. press — to push
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — clothes
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. press — a publisher
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fall — the season
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. staff — employees
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bark — of a tree

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