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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — to get on
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. press — a publisher
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. press — to push
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — rain
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pass — a permit
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mine — an explosive

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