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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. swing — to play on
  3. degree — an amount
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. firm — a company
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stand — to bear
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. press — newspapers
  14. firm — decided
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. current — electric
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. press — a publisher

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