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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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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: mate · club · dip · press · fall · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fall — the season
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — a publisher
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — to breed
  11. club — for golf
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. dip — a sauce

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