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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: press · cabinet · rash · bat · stem · lean · stick · foot

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. press — to push
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rash — hasty
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lean — thin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rash — a series
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stem — to come from
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — the bottom

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