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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. band — a music group
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a ring
  9. lean — thin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lean — to bend
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — letters
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — to push
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spell — magic
  22. fall — the season
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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