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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rock — music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. squash — to crush
  10. last — to go on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. last — final
  13. dip — to sink
  14. last — finally
  15. net — in sport
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kick — in football

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