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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: stem · pit · scale · fine · press · temple · shower · cabinet

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fine — all right
  3. shower — rain
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — high quality
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. press — a publisher
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — to come from
  23. scale — in music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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