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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · stem · bear · ruler · press · branch · pass · hide

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. press — a publisher
  8. season — of the year
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — to push
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pass — a permit

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