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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
468
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: bore · bay · spring · hand · press · fall · hide · roll

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fall — to drop
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spring — the season
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hand — help
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hand — in cards
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spring — of water
  22. roll — a list
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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