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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chair — a leader
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — in sport
  12. lie — to recline
  13. net — after costs
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chair — to sit on

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