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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: mark · mine · face · temple · stem · pass · press · arm

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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. press — a publisher
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — newspapers
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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