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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mine — for digging
  20. press — newspapers
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cap — a hat

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