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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. wind — moving air
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stand — to bear
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bound — obliged
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — certain
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bound — tied together
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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