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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — newspapers
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — army training
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. game — a match
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. press — to push
  22. board — to get on
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — all right

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