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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. press — to push
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cell — in biology
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cell — a phone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. firm — steady
  13. branch — a division
  14. firm — decided
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. firm — a company
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — lets stay

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