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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · ball · staff · hide · rush · degree · foot · hand

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ball — a dance
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — employees
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rush — hurry

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