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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stem — to come from
  9. game — a match
  10. board — a committee
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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