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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: spell · press · saw · plane · tube · bound · stem · march

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. march — music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tube — a container
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. press — to push

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