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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: file · ball · hide · charge · stand · stock · cell · press

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — to bear
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stock — shares
  6. cell — a phone
  7. file — a document
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. charge — a price
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — newspapers
  14. file — a tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — in biology
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. press — to push
  24. stand — on your feet

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