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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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. present — there
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. present — the time now
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. present — a gift
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — to push
  21. row — a line
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — ministers

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