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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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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: chest · press · wind · bear · foot · wound · pass · season

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. season — in sport
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chest — a box
  14. foot — a measure
  15. press — to push
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wound — an injury

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