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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: stem · cabinet · press · snap · pass · key · can · wound

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to click
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — for a lock
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. key — in music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. key — the most important part
  20. press — to push
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wound — an injury

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