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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — a gift
  3. press — a publisher
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — low music
  6. toast — bread
  7. press — to push
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. present — the time now
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. present — there
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bass — the fish

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