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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. drill — army training
  5. lie — to recline
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — money
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — to come from
  14. present — there
  15. drill — the tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. drill — a practice
  18. present — the time now
  19. stock — shares
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — a publisher
  22. capital — a city
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. sharp — clever

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