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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. kid — to tease
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — child
  12. band — a music group
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mug — a face
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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