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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: press · deal · pit · hide · stock · kick · spring · wind

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. press — to push
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  24. deal — an agreement

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