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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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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: craft · chip · fall · stem · press · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. press — to push
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. last — to go on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. craft — a skill
  14. last — finally
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — to eat

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