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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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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: bowl · cap · bank · stem · rule · cold · press · stand

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stand — to bear
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. press — to push
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rule — government
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — a stem cell

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