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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — in biology
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cell — a phone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ground — a position
  21. press — to push
  22. ground — crushed
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lie — to recline

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