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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bound — certain
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stem — a stem cell

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