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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. press — a publisher
  6. craft — boats
  7. press — to push
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cap — of ice
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rash — a series
  17. stem — to come from
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cap — a lid

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