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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: saw · lean · cap · stem · press · net · cue · mouse

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. press — to push
  10. stem — to come from
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lean — to bend
  15. net — for catching
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. cue — for pool
  24. net — after costs

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