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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.

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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: pass · hide · press · spell · pitch · sharp · bound · bank

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spell — magic
  12. press — to push
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — letters
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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