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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. press — to push
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to click
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. press — a publisher

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