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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. press — a publisher
  4. object — an aim
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wake — a trail
  10. season — of the year
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — to push
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a partner
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — newspapers

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