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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · mug · press · roll · fall · rock · lie · craft

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — to push
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. fall — the season
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. press — newspapers
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rock — a stone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — to rob
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — a face
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rock — music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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