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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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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 · hand · stand · racket · pass · pit · bore · hide

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — help
  9. bore — to drill
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pass — a permit
  12. press — to push
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — for spectators

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