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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: press · bank · wax · bulb · stem · pitch · chest · land

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — to grow
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. land — to come down
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitch — completely
  22. press — newspapers
  23. land — a country
  24. press — to push

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