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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. capital — money
  5. foot — a measure
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. press — to push
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — a publisher
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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