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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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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: clip · press · key · cabinet · stem · stand · foot · bear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — to push
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. key — in music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stand — to bear
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. clip — a video
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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