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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to confront
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. swing — music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chip — to eat
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stem — to come from
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — to bear
  24. face — to point toward

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