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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — of water
  5. press — newspapers
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — happening now
  10. press — to push
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — decided
  14. press — a publisher
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — a break
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — to bear
  24. sharp — with an edge

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