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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: saw · press · stand · dip · hide · cap · club · perch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. club — for golf
  5. stand — to bear
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — a group
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — for dancing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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