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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 116 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: hide · firm · field · deal · bear · press · bay · spring

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. field — for sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — farmland
  8. spring — of water
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — a publisher
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spring — the season
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. field — a subject
  19. firm — a company
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bear — to put up with

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