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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. press — to push
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. degree — temperature

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