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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: kick · ruler · press · charge · season · stem

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. press — newspapers
  5. charge — in control
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — of the year
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. season — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring

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