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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
468
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: press · lie · stem · staff · bat · foot · pass · field

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pass — a permit
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — farmland
  14. press — to push
  15. field — for sport
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. field — a subject
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stem — to come from

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