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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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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: mate · lash · stand · bay · present · tear · press · dip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — to bear
  3. press — to push
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. press — newspapers
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tear — to rip
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mate — a partner
  19. present — a gift
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. present — the time now

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