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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. press — newspapers
  24. game — a match

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