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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bass — the fish
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. branch — a division
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bass — low music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bay — a horse colour

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