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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — steady
  10. squash — the sport
  11. press — to push
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — decided
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. firm — a company
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tear — to rip
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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