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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: nail · spell · current · perch · stem · press · object · rash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — letters
  5. press — a publisher
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — of water
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — to push
  11. current — happening now
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — a short time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — newspapers
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — an aim
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. current — electric
  23. rash — a series
  24. spell — magic

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