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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: ball · lie · fall · stand · swing · craft · press · cell

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fall — the season
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — music
  18. cell — in biology
  19. craft — boats
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — a skill
  22. press — to push
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. swing — in golf

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