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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — to push
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. court — for sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. court — of a king
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. court — of law

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