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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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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: tube · press · object · lean · kid · bear · stand · charge

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — in control
  6. tube — the underground
  7. charge — a price
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lean — thin
  10. object — a thing
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. object — an aim
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. object — to protest
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kid — child

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