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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · last · press · mug · scale · bat · safe · stem

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stem — to come from
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — finally
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. press — newspapers
  7. last — to go on
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. scale — size or range
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — in music
  21. last — final
  22. mug — a face
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — for weighing

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