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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — letters
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. press — to push
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. last — final
  15. press — a publisher
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — finally
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spell — magic
  24. last — to go on

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