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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. face — to point toward
  5. object — to protest
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — a publisher
  8. firm — decided
  9. object — an aim
  10. stand — to bear
  11. root — the cause
  12. face — to confront
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — steady
  16. object — a thing
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. press — newspapers
  19. firm — a company
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. root — of a word

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