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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lean — to bend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. press — to push
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — thin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cold — an illness
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. press — newspapers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. nail — for a hammer

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