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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: firm · stem · drill · kick · mate · press

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — steady
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kick — in football
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — a partner

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