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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
468
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: fall · kick · season · stem · mug · lean · press · plane

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kick — in football
  4. plane — a tool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stem — to come from
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — newspapers
  14. season — in sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lean — thin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. press — to push
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. season — of the year

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