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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — to push
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hand — help
  21. fall — the season
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — in sport

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