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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — to fit
  3. press — to push
  4. land — ground
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — of a river
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — to come down
  12. snap — to click
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. board — a committee
  16. bank — for money
  17. suit — in cards
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — a country

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