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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. charge — a price
  4. craft — a skill
  5. press — to push
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — thin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. charge — in control
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — newspapers
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rash — a series
  22. charge — electricity
  23. craft — boats
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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