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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fall — the season
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — to push
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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