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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: press · pop · bay · tube · bank · mark · stem · rash

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We're almost out 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. stem — a stem cell
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — a container
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pop — music
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bank — for money
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pop — soda
  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