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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. press — a publisher
  4. charge — electricity
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cold — not warm
  14. charge — in control
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. press — to push
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cold — an illness

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