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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — a law
  9. object — a thing
  10. rule — government
  11. object — to protest
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. object — an aim

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