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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: season · fan · press · mug · date · stand · lie · swing

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — of the year
  4. swing — in golf
  5. season — in sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — to push
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mug — to rob
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — to play on
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lie — an untruth

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