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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: bank · press · rush · rock · clip · cabinet · toast · stem

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. press — a publisher
  3. clip — to cut
  4. toast — bread
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rock — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — for money
  17. rush — hurry
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — to push

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