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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. court — of law
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rush — hurry
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. lean — thin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. court — for sport
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — to bend

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