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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: cell · mine · ruler · press · stem · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — to come from
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cell — in biology
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone

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