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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. drill — a practice
  5. hand — in cards
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pound — a weight
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hide — to keep secret

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