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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: racket · ruler · spring · press · wound · jam · stem · drill

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. spring — the season
  4. stem — to come from
  5. press — newspapers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — a publisher
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — to push
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wound — an injury

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