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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.

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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: tear · stem · coach · press · dip · craft · cap · wave

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cap — a hat
  4. press — to push
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. press — a publisher
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tear — to rip
  11. press — newspapers
  12. craft — boats
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — a lid
  18. craft — a skill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — to come from

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