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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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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: stick · firm · press · rush · wind · bore · stand · net

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. firm — steady
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — to tire

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