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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. saw — the tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. shower — rain
  7. stem — to come from
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. shower — to wash
  11. board — to get on
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cell — in biology
  19. present — there
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. cell — a phone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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