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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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rule — a law
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. press — to push
  13. rule — government
  14. pass — a permit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mug — a face
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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