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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. press — to push
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — goods
  5. press — a publisher
  6. roll — a list
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stock — shares
  17. season — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. season — of the year
  21. fall — the season
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — to drop
  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