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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: stick · bank · pit · pound · lie · press · arm · season

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pound — a weight
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bank — of a river
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. season — in sport
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pit — a hole

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