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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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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. press — to push
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. mug — to rob
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — to wash
  11. firm — a company
  12. bass — low music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. land — ground
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — to bear
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — a country
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the fish
  24. land — to come down

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