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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a great time
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitch — completely
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a dance
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — rain
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. press — to push
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ruler — for measuring

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