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

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. toast — bread
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. race — humankind
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kid — child
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — to push
  16. race — the arms race
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. press — a publisher
  19. craft — boats
  20. kid — to tease
  21. race — a contest
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — animal skin

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