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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: hide · stand · nail · bore · wound · press · rush · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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