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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · firm · mouse · rock · press · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. firm — steady
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. season — in sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — to push
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fall — the season
  14. firm — decided
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — the animal

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