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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — newspapers
  11. staff — employees
  12. press — to push
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. wind — moving air
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — a publisher

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