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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. plane — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — an aircraft

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