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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: press · safe · hide · stand · chair · toast

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chair — a leader
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — to bear
  13. toast — bread
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — a strongbox

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