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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — clothes
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — to push
  7. suit — to fit
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. band — a ring
  11. press — a publisher
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. capital — a city
  24. perch — for a bird

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