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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 124 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. last — to go on
  4. present — the time now
  5. press — newspapers
  6. present — a gift
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kid — to tease
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — final
  12. present — there
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. press — to push
  20. kid — child
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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