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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 116 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 ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. tear — to rip
  6. press — newspapers
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — music
  23. stem — to come from
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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