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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tube — the underground
  3. press — a publisher
  4. last — to go on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — finally
  10. tube — a container
  11. press — newspapers
  12. game — a match
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spell — magic
  15. game — wild animals
  16. press — to push
  17. last — final
  18. mug — a face
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mug — a cup
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mug — to rob

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