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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fall — the season
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. press — newspapers
  7. field — for sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — to push
  19. field — a subject
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pitcher — a jug

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