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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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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: band · press · stem · game · dip · staff · bank · mine

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. band — a music group
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. press — to push
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — for digging
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to sink

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