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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: hide · board · ground · bank · chip · safe · cold · press

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ground — crushed
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a committee
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chip — for betting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — an illness

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