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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. file — a tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. degree — temperature
  13. file — a document
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — in music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. press — to push
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — tied together
  21. current — electric
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — obliged
  24. scale — for weighing

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