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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bank · rush · bass · lean · hide · kick · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lean — thin
  19. kick — in football
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — to bend
  23. press — to push
  24. key — in music

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