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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. firm — steady
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a great time
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — to push
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — finally
  13. chest — a box
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — decided
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. last — to go on
  23. press — newspapers
  24. last — final

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