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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stem — to come from
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ground — the earth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. shower — to wash
  10. swing — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — in golf
  13. press — to push
  14. rock — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — crushed
  17. shower — rain
  18. press — a publisher
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ground — a position

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