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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: drill · bear · hide · craft · safe · board · press · cold

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — to push
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. drill — army training
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. board — a committee
  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