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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — to push
  10. land — ground
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. land — a country
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — a position
  22. swing — music
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — a stone

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