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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: date · bank · pit · press · rock · craft · staff · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — boats
  3. bank — of a river
  4. press — to push
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — a stick
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — newspapers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bank — for money
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. staff — employees

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