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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.

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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: cue · pit · lash · lie · march · press · nail · stand

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lie — to recline
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. press — a publisher
  9. march — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. press — to push
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a hole
  16. march — the month
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — on a finger

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