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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wake — a trail
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. toast — bread
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pop — music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. scale — in music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rule — government
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pop — soda
  23. rule — a law
  24. wake — before a funeral

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