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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. craft — a skill
  4. field — for sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. press — newspapers
  17. field — farmland
  18. tube — a container
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — the tool
  23. field — a subject
  24. tube — the underground

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