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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 124 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bat — for baseball

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