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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — goods
  9. file — a document
  10. scale — in music
  11. file — a tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a line of people
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stem — a stem cell

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