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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: mug · wind · present · vault · stem · stand · press · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. present — there
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mug — to rob
  6. land — ground
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stand — to bear
  10. land — to come down
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mug — a face
  16. stem — to come from
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. press — a publisher
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. vault — a safe
  23. press — to push
  24. stand — for spectators

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