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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fall — the season
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. shower — rain
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. press — to push
  23. mate — a friend
  24. press — newspapers

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