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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.

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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: cabinet · rule · clip · stand · rash · press · wake · stem

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — to cut
  6. press — to push
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. clip — a video
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — a law
  13. clip — for paper
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rash — a series
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rule — government
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  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