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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: coach · chip · hide · press · ground · clip · stand · craft

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. clip — for paper
  3. ground — the earth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — to bear
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ground — crushed
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. craft — boats
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — to eat

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