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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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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: ruler · band · tear · spell · press · stem

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. press — newspapers
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spell — letters
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. band — a ring
  13. press — to push
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring

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