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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cap — of ice
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. current — electric
  6. cap — a lid
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — a series
  10. press — to push
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — of water
  15. cap — a hat
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. press — newspapers
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. press — a publisher

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