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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bear — the animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stand — to bear
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to bend
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — thin

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