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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. vault — a safe
  4. press — to push
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rush — hurry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rash — a series
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stem — to come from
  17. row — to paddle
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. row — a line
  24. rush — to hurry

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