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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stand — to bear
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tube — a container
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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