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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: content · press · bear · stem · rush · mine · spring · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — for digging
  16. press — newspapers
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spring — the season
  20. press — to push
  21. content — happy
  22. spring — a coil
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spring — of water

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