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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stand — to bear
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. scale — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — to push
  22. present — there
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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