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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — newspapers
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a music group
  24. safe — a strongbox

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