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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. last — to go on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stand — to bear
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — to recline
  24. press — to push

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