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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rush — hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. press — to push
  23. stem — to come from
  24. press — a publisher

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