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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: board · drill · chair · squash · spring · stem · rock · press

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rock — a stone
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rock — music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spring — of water
  11. drill — a practice
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stem — to come from
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chair — a leader
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spring — the season
  23. press — a publisher
  24. drill — army training

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