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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 116 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: spring · stem · press · cabinet · cue · mark · kick · nail

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — a signal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — a coil
  10. press — to push
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — the season

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