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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: bore · deal · temple · press · pitch · wind · hide · bark

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bore — to tire
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. press — to push
  20. pitch — completely
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. temple — a place of worship

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