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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: cell · rock · ground · fan · spring · stem · press · bound

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. spring — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — of water
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — a position
  14. cell — in biology
  15. press — to push
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cell — a phone
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — crushed
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rock — a stone
  24. press — newspapers

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