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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 116 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: squash · perch · cue · snap · press · stem · spell · leaves

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. squash — the sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spell — magic
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. snap — to click

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