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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 116 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: stem · cabinet · land · rest · cue · pound · press · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — a container
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. land — a country
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. press — to push
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. land — to come down
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rest — what's left

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