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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. last — final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. last — to go on
  11. net — in sport
  12. land — to come down
  13. file — a document
  14. stand — to bear
  15. press — newspapers
  16. land — ground
  17. press — to push
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a tool
  20. last — finally
  21. file — a line of people
  22. land — a country
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to click

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