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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: lie · stick · stock · vault · rash · stand · press · patient

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. stock — shares
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — goods
  6. press — to push
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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