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

Word bank: field · foot · ruler · stand · chest · rule · press · wind

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — newspapers
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — a box
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — government
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chest — of your body
  17. field — a subject
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. press — a publisher
  21. field — for sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. field — farmland
  24. rule — a law

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