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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. suit — to fit
  3. press — to push
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — decided
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — a publisher
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fall — the season
  24. press — newspapers

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