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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cue — for pool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — to confront
  8. hand — in cards
  9. race — a contest
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — a hint
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hand — help
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — for catching
  22. press — to push
  23. cell — a phone
  24. hand — part of the body

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