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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: face · patient · toast · current · net · scale · press · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — after costs
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. net — for catching
  7. current — electric
  8. press — a publisher
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. face — part of the head
  12. current — of water
  13. toast — bread
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. press — to push
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — happening now
  19. stem — to come from
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — in music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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