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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: press · deal · straw · rule · stem · present

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. press — to push
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. present — a gift
  16. rule — government
  17. present — there
  18. deal — a big deal

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