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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — to push
  17. rush — hurry
  18. press — newspapers
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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