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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cap — of ice
  8. court — of law
  9. face — to confront
  10. court — of a king
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. court — for sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — to point toward
  19. press — newspapers
  20. object — an aim
  21. cap — a lid
  22. suit — clothes
  23. press — to push
  24. object — to protest

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