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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: fan · mark · swing · stand · face · fall · last · press

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — to play on
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — to push
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. face — to confront
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mark — to pay attention

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