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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. present — the time now
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. clip — to cut
  5. swing — music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — to push
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. press — newspapers
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. wind — moving air
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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