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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: press · band · hide · spell · cabinet · firm · wake · stem

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. firm — a company
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a ring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. band — a music group
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — to come from
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — to push
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cabinet — ministers

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