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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. press — to push
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. roll — a list
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a line of people
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pass — a permit
  11. file — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a document
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cold — not warm
  20. staff — a stick
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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