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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — a publisher
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — a city
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — to push
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. press — newspapers
  24. capital — money

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