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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — to push
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fork — in a road
  12. board — to get on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — the season
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — a committee
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — newspapers

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