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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: tear · stand · stem · root · pound · press

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tear — from crying
  4. press — to push
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stand — for spectators

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