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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: bear · lean · stem · date · foot · plane · capital · press

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — a tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — the fruit
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. capital — a city
  13. press — to push
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — thin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. capital — money

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