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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. press — to push
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — to protest
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cap — a lid
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. object — an aim
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. object — a thing

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