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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: mark · press · cabinet · leaves · stem · ball · rest · spell

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spell — letters
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spell — magic
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rest — a break
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — what's left
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mark — a trace
  21. press — to push
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rest — what's left

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