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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — to push
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. net — for catching
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — to bear
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wax — to grow
  20. swing — in golf
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. net — in sport
  23. swing — music
  24. press — a publisher

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