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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: arm · shower · rest · press · hide · bore · object · fall

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rest — a break
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bore — to tire

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