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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: straw · bowl · tube · press · charge · deal · stick · stem

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — a publisher

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