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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 124 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. press — to push
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — newspapers
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chest — a box
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tear — from crying

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