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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 120 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: lean · stand · pop · chest · stock · spell · hide · press

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spell — magic
  5. chest — a box
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. spell — letters
  9. pop — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — soda
  19. stock — goods
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. stand — for spectators

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