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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — of the year
  5. foot — a measure
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chest — a box
  23. tear — to rip
  24. season — in sport

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