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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bank — for money
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ground — a position
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — to push
  20. kick — in football
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bowl — a dish

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