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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: plane · stem · craft · race · toast · bear · hide · press

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stem — to come from
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. craft — boats
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. bear — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. press — to push
  17. toast — bread
  18. plane — a tool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — a publisher
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stem — of a plant
  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