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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: face · band · plane · prune · cell · stem · fan · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a music group
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. face — part of the head
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. prune — to trim
  19. band — a ring
  20. cell — a phone
  21. press — to push
  22. face — to confront
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fan — a supporter

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