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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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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: pit · cabinet · last · bear · kick · press · bank · staff

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. press — to push
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — newspapers
  16. last — final
  17. pit — in a race
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — finally
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — the animal

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