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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. vault — a safe
  4. firm — steady
  5. pound — a weight
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. spring — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. press — to push
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. press — newspapers
  12. firm — a company
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. press — a publisher
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spring — of water
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — bread
  24. pound — to hit hard

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