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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — for digging
  19. press — to push
  20. fall — the season
  21. field — farmland
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. stem — of a plant

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