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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
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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: stem · staff · ruler · sharp · mine · wax · fall · press

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fall — to drop
  3. staff — employees
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stem — to come from
  7. press — to push
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fall — the season
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. staff — a stick
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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