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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 meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. season — of the year
  10. press — to push
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — of water
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cue — a hint

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