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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fork — in a road
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — of water
  12. ground — the earth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — happening now
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — to push
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. current — electric
  23. press — newspapers
  24. leaves — lets stay

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