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

Word bank: lie · object · bay · stem · racket · press · bat · pass

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. object — a thing
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. object — to protest
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pass — to succeed

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