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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: mouse · wake · ground · stem · press · bay · spring · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. wake — a trail
  21. spring — of water
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. press — a publisher

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