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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rule — a law
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rest — a break
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — newspapers
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rule — government
  22. key — in music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cap — a lid

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