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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 116 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: cell · hide · stem · racket · calf · press

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — to come from
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — to push
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — a phone
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal

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