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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. land — to come down
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — a permit
  8. land — a country
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rash — a series
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — a trail
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. press — to push
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stand — to bear
  24. perch — for a bird

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