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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. court — for sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — to push
  13. court — of a king
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. firm — steady
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — to bear
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of law
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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