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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. roll — a list
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — a company
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. firm — steady
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — a hat
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. firm — decided
  11. press — to push
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wound — an injury
  20. roll — a cake
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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