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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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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: wind · kick · press · ball · lie · bank

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — in football
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — to push
  10. ball — a dance
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air

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