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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. press — newspapers
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. scale — in music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  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