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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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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: nail · fall · cap · foot · mug · stand · press · dip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. fall — the season
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stand — to bear
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. press — to push
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mug — a face
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. foot — the bottom
  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