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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: present · press · bat · mark · mine · suit · hand · fall

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bat — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — help
  18. press — to push
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fall — the season
  24. mine — an explosive

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