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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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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 · trunk · dip · cell · firm · press

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cell — in biology
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. press — to push
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. firm — decided

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