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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — the season
  8. press — to push
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — a skill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pit — a hole
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. craft — boats
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a handicraft

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