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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 116 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: tube · craft · stem · capital · clip · fall · press · stick

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. capital — money
  7. press — to push
  8. craft — boats
  9. clip — a video
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — to cut
  14. capital — a city
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. clip — for paper
  22. tube — a container
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — the underground

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