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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 116 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: squash · cap · lean · fall · rock · last · stick · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rock — a stone
  4. last — finally
  5. rock — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — to push
  8. lean — thin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cap — a lid
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. cap — a hat
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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