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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — to push
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. season — of the year
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spell — letters
  20. stand — to bear
  21. press — newspapers
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. field — a subject

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