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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. roll — a cake
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. shower — rain
  7. lie — to recline
  8. shower — to wash
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. press — to push
  14. rush — hurry
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. track — a path
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — a song
  22. net — after costs
  23. roll — a list
  24. lie — an untruth

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