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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: stand · tear · stem · press · toast · rule

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stand — to bear
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rule — a law
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rule — government
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tear — from crying

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