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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 120 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chest — a box
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chest — of your body
  7. root — of a word
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. firm — decided
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cold — not warm
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mug — a face
  21. firm — steady
  22. root — of a plant
  23. firm — a company
  24. cold — the Cold War

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