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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — farmland
  8. stand — to bear
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — a subject
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tear — from crying
  23. field — for sport
  24. tear — to rip

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