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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: spring · stem · can · press · bore · jam · swing · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. press — newspapers
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — to be able to
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spring — of water
  15. swing — music
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bore — to drill
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. spring — a coil
  24. can — a tin

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