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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stand — to bear
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tube — a container
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — to push
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. snap — to click
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spring — a coil
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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