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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: rest · branch · stem · cabinet · press · dip · stock · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rest — a break
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — to come from
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to dunk

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