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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wake — a trail
  15. band — a music group
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rule — government
  18. press — to push
  19. rule — a law
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. shower — rain
  24. press — a publisher

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