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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. press — newspapers

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