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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — the underground
  10. row — a line
  11. board — a committee
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. board — to get on
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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