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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: fan · press · mine · stand · hide · game · rock · row

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — to push
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rock — music
  11. game — a match
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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