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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · press · lie · mine · hand · scale · present · stand

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. present — the time now
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. press — to push
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rash — a series
  19. press — newspapers
  20. scale — size or range
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stand — to bear

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