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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · press · bulb · row · stem · chest · bark · pit

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. press — to push
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. press — a publisher

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