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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — in music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cell — in biology
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fork — in a road
  21. key — the most important part
  22. press — newspapers
  23. key — for a lock
  24. press — to push

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