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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. march — the month
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — to sink
  5. press — newspapers
  6. march — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hand — help
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fall — the season
  18. net — in sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hand — in cards
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cap — a hat
  23. net — after costs
  24. dip — to dunk

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