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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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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: pitch · press · lie · bore · kick · wake · present · hand

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — there
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. present — the time now
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bore — to drill
  19. present — a gift
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hand — help

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