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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: firm · press · fine · pit · hide · fan · ground · shower

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ground — the earth
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — all right
  7. firm — decided
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — rain
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — crushed
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. firm — a company
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ground — a position
  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