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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · rash · mate · stand · fall · drill · rock · calf

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. press — to push
  5. drill — a practice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. drill — army training
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fall — the season
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rock — to move gently

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