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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pass · press · tube · bat · cold · pitcher · calf

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tube — a container
  22. cold — an illness
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — for baseball

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