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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.

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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: clip · cabinet · branch · pop · spring · press · bank · stem

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. clip — a video
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — to push
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — of water
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — a division
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — the season
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pop — music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — to visit
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cabinet — ministers

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