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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: stand · fall · mouse · court · press · wound · date · cue

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — to push
  4. court — for sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. court — of a king
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cue — a hint
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fall — to drop
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fall — the season
  18. court — of law
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mouse — the animal

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