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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: kick · fall · fork · suit · rest · bowl · wind · press

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. press — to push
  4. rest — a break
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fall — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — a dish

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