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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — newspapers
  3. track — a song
  4. press — to push
  5. board — to get on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. dip — to sink
  13. march — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. march — the month
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — to bear
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. press — a publisher
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. scale — in music

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