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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 120 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lean — thin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. field — a subject
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ground — the earth
  16. field — farmland
  17. land — to come down
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. press — to push

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