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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — to push
  5. drill — a practice
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. firm — a company
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — a publisher
  19. firm — decided
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. mug — a face
  24. prune — to trim

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