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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 120 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
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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: leaves · land · object · stem · board · coach · cabinet · press

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. object — an aim
  4. press — a publisher
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. object — a thing
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. press — to push
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. land — ground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — to protest

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