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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: stem · fine · stand · cold · season · temple · track · press

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. track — a song
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stand — to bear
  5. press — to push
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — to come from
  9. press — a publisher
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — in sport
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. track — a path
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — to add flavour

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