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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: press · clip · key · pop · lie · craft · spell · stem

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spell — a short time
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spell — letters
  11. clip — to cut
  12. craft — boats
  13. clip — a video
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pop — soda
  18. clip — for paper
  19. press — to push
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — a publisher
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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