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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mug — a cup
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — in sport
  13. mug — a face
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mug — to rob
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. press — to push
  24. craft — boats

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