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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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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: row · pit · craft · toast · stem · press · trunk · deal

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stem — to come from
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. toast — bread
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pit — a hole
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. craft — a skill
  15. press — to push
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — a line
  19. craft — boats
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pit — in a race
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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