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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · rock · mate · wind · stand · rash · ground · press

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. press — to push
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rash — a series
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rash — hasty
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ground — a position
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — a stone
  24. saw — the tool

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