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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kick — in football
  3. present — the time now
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bank — of a river
  11. present — a gift
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. press — to push
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — there
  24. press — a publisher

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