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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: staff · kick · arm · present · pit · press · roll · shower

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. staff — a stick
  3. present — there
  4. kick — in football
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. present — the time now
  10. roll — a list
  11. present — a gift
  12. shower — to wash
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — in a race

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