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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 120 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: press · lie · cold · bowl · stand · race · present · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. can — a tin
  2. race — humankind
  3. cold — an illness
  4. press — to push
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — a contest
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — the time now
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  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