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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rule — a law
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rule — government
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — to push
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ground — a position
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stand — on your feet

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