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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: press · spring · bay · season · can · cabinet · perch · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. press — a publisher
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — to be able to
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spring — a coil
  24. season — to add flavour

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