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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: fall · fan · cap · press · pass · stick · shower · mine

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — a hat
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fall — the season
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. shower — rain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pass — a permit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pass — to succeed

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