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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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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: snap · kid · press · trunk · stem · drill · craft · stand

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. snap — to click
  4. press — a publisher
  5. craft — a skill
  6. drill — army training
  7. press — to push
  8. kid — child
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. craft — boats
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. kid — to tease
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — newspapers
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. trunk — of a tree

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