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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. press — to push
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. snap — to click
  10. stand — to bear
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. craft — boats
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — a skill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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