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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: leaves · deal · cap · mug · stem · press · wound · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. press — to push
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stem — to come from
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wound — an injury
  23. press — newspapers
  24. leaves — lets stay

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