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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 120 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: fan · pound · mark · kick · press · game · rash · hide

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rash — a series
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mark — a trace
  9. game — a match
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rash — hasty
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. kick — in football
  22. press — to push
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — a weight

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