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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: fall · cabinet · craft · face · press · toast · dip · stem

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — newspapers
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — to sink
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stem — to come from

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