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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — a publisher
  5. firm — a company
  6. stand — to bear
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. object — an aim
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cold — not warm
  13. object — a thing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. object — to protest
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cold — an illness
  20. firm — decided
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. firm — steady
  24. straw — a straw man

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