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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — to push
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — in control
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — to bear
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. charge — electricity

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