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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: mine · press · bowl · deal · wake · leaves · shower · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — to push
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. shower — rain
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wake — before a funeral

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