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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. staff — a stick
  6. land — ground
  7. fall — the season
  8. press — to push
  9. staff — employees
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fall — to drop
  21. season — of the year
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — a publisher

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