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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: roll · press · racket · mug · wound · nail · kid · stem

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. roll — a list
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — to rob
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mug — a cup
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mug — a face
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stem — a stem cell

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