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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · chair · bowl · press · present · plane

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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. plane — an aircraft
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. plane — a tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — to push
  11. present — a gift
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chair — a leader
  18. press — a publisher

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