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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: cap · lean · bowl · suit · stand · land · spell · press

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. spell — letters
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spell — magic
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — to push
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lean — thin
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — to bend
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — a country
  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