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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chest — of your body
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pop — music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — soda
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. press — to push
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. board — a committee
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — a publisher
  24. hide — animal skin

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