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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — steady
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. press — to push
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. press — newspapers
  10. firm — decided
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a ring
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. kid — to tease
  16. band — a music group
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — a company

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