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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — of ice
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. press — newspapers
  9. swing — in golf
  10. roll — a list
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — a publisher
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. press — to push
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fall — the season
  17. toast — bread
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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