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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pass — a permit
  6. press — to push
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. club — for dancing
  17. face — to confront
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — for golf
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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