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

Word bank: wound · firm · press · hide · stick · kick

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. firm — a company
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — decided
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — to push

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