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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. object — to protest
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cold — an illness
  7. object — an aim
  8. press — newspapers
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — a thing
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — all right
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. press — a publisher
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cold — not warm

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