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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — employees
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a document
  9. object — an aim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. file — a line of people

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