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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: foot · hide · firm · rest · cold · bank · cabinet · press

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — a company
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — a break
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. cold — not warm
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. press — to push
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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