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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · bass · can · press · rash · spell · land · kick

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — to come down
  7. spell — letters
  8. land — a country
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — low music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. press — to push
  15. spell — magic
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rash — a series
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. land — ground

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