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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: bank · stem · plane · ball · press · board · land · pass

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. land — to come down
  8. stem — to come from
  9. press — to push
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pass — a permit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — newspapers
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. land — ground
  22. press — a publisher
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — to spend time

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