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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — to come from
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rule — government
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rash — a series
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rule — a law
  21. chair — a leader
  22. press — to push
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mate — to breed

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