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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. press — to push
  6. toast — bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. object — an aim
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — newspapers
  15. object — a thing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — to protest
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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