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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — magic
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — letters
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. spell — a short time
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. present — there
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. land — ground
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — rain
  23. land — a country
  24. press — to push

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