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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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — a gift
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. present — there
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fall — the season
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — ground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. land — a country
  18. present — the time now
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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