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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: bark · hide · stock · jam · press · charge · lean · stand

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — a publisher
  6. charge — electricity
  7. press — newspapers
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. charge — a price
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — goods
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. charge — in control
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. press — to push
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lean — thin
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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