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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: plane · ruler · squash · press · rest · rush · wind · stem

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — to come from
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. press — to push
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wind — moving air

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