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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: stem · stand · bulb · game · cabinet · rash · press · fan

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rash — hasty
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. game — a match
  24. stem — to come from

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