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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. board — a committee
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — boats
  5. root — the cause
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. press — to push
  13. root — of a word
  14. ground — crushed
  15. root — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — a position
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — hurry

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