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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — a publisher
  5. staff — a stick
  6. court — of a king
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. court — of law
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — farmland
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fall — the season
  17. field — a subject
  18. press — newspapers
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. court — for sport
  21. press — to push
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stand — for spectators

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