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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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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: safe · hand · bore · stem · hide · press · board · bass

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. hand — help
  3. board — to get on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. press — to push
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bass — low music
  17. board — a committee
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hand — in cards
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. board — a flat piece

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