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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. press — to push
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cell — in biology
  11. key — the most important part
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — a phone
  16. key — in music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — the cause
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cold — an illness
  24. key — for a lock

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