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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. content — the amount
  8. press — to push
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. pop — to visit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. object — to protest
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — music
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. content — happy
  24. press — newspapers

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