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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 116 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: dip · kid · leaves · kick · mine · press · bark · cap

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — of ice
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. cap — a lid
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — a hat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kid — child

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