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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. spell — magic
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. key — in music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — a publisher
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. press — to push
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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