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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — the season
  6. mug — a face
  7. stem — to come from
  8. content — happy
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. content — the amount
  15. spring — of water
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spring — a coil
  19. press — a publisher
  20. season — in sport
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — of the year

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