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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: fall · stem · cell · press · cabinet · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — the season
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fall — to drop
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cell — in biology
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — of a plant

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