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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: sharp · pit · lean · lash · wind · press · pitch · bark

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — thin
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pit — in a race
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitch — completely

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