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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · can · stem · press · band · lie · degree · charge

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. degree — from a university
  4. band — a music group
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a ring
  9. press — to push
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — a price
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. degree — an amount
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. charge — in control
  21. degree — temperature
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stem — of a plant

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