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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: calf · rash · suit · press · pop · fall · lie · spring

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pop — to visit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. press — to push
  17. spring — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — newspapers

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