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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: shower · firm · lie · pit · lash · stand · bear · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — to push
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — to lash out

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