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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 120 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: rest · press · cap · stem · cold · craft · coach · face

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stem — to come from
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cold — not warm
  15. face — to confront
  16. press — to push
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rest — a break
  19. cap — of ice
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cold — an illness
  24. press — a publisher

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