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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · wind · press · mark · hide · march · mouse · spring

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. press — to push
  8. roll — a list
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a grade
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. roll — a cake
  18. spring — a coil
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. press — newspapers
  24. spring — the season

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