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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — to bear
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cold — an illness
  10. firm — decided
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — in football
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. firm — a company
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. firm — steady
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stand — on your feet

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