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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: can · bear · toast · stem · tear · press

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. 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. bear — the animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — to push
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. tear — to rip
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. 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