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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — a price
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — to push

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