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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. press — to push
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — army training
  9. wound — an injury
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rock — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. drill — a practice
  22. shower — rain
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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