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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: chest · press · stock · march · hide · ball · rash · bowl

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. march — the month
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rash — a series
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. ball — a great time
  22. march — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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