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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · bear · hand · pitch · cold · sharp · bowl · press

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitch — completely
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cold — not warm
  9. hand — help
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cold — an illness
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. hand — in cards

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