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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — to fit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — to play on
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — to push
  16. swing — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bass — low music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ruler — for measuring

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