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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: mine · present · season · press · stand · wave · arm · tube

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — to push
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. present — there
  18. season — in sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tube — a container
  24. arm — part of the body

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