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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: wake · press · stem · rule · capital · bear

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rule — government
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — to push
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. capital — a city
  13. press — a publisher
  14. capital — money
  15. rule — a law
  16. wake — a trail
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stem — a stem cell

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