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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 116 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: stand · prune · stick · press · leaves · bass · lie · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. march — the month
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. press — to push
  18. stand — to bear
  19. march — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  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