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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.

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: firm · press · fall · coach · face · land · stand · cabinet

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to confront
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — to come down
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fall — the season
  14. land — ground
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. firm — a company

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