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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 120 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: mate · present · spring · dip · staff · stem · press · ruler

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spring — the season
  3. mate — to breed
  4. press — to push
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — a friend
  7. present — the time now
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — a stick
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — there
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — a gift
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — to sink
  24. press — newspapers

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