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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: perch · rush · stem · root · firm · clip · toast · press

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. firm — steady
  3. clip — to cut
  4. press — newspapers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. clip — a video
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — the cause
  13. firm — decided
  14. stem — to come from
  15. toast — bread
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — a publisher
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. perch — the fish
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — a company
  24. stem — a stem cell

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