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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — newspapers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — after costs
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rest — a break
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — thin

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