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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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Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. press — newspapers
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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