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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cell — a phone
  21. press — newspapers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. press — to push
  24. wave — with your hand

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