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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. press — to push
  4. cap — a hat
  5. shower — rain
  6. perch — the fish
  7. present — there
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. press — a publisher
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — to wash
  16. row — a line
  17. stem — to come from
  18. present — a gift
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — the time now

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