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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: lie · firm · fall · can · swing · craft · march · press

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. can — to be able to
  5. press — to push
  6. march — the month
  7. press — a publisher
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. swing — music
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — a company
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a skill

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