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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: bank · deal · dip · press · tear · hide · kick · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — in football
  12. press — a publisher
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — newspapers
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — to push
  23. bank — of a river
  24. deal — to handle

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