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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: wind · hide · press · foot · toast · snap

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. toast — bread
  8. press — a publisher
  9. snap — to click
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. press — to push
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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