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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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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: press · pitch · bulb · lean · fine · stem · bank · fall

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fine — all right
  4. press — to push
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fall — the season
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bank — for money
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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