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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · stem · press · toast · bear · spell · straw · current

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. toast — bread
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — to push
  9. current — of water
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — electric
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. current — happening now
  23. spell — letters
  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