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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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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: rest · bear · perch · hide · chest · fall · stock · press

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chest — a box
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — goods
  24. chest — of your body

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