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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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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: last · perch · roll · bark · ruler · hide · press · stem

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. press — to push
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — to go on
  11. stem — to come from
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — to shout
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — a publisher
  18. last — finally
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — a list
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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