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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: pass · straw · object · press · chair · band

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. press — newspapers
  3. object — a thing
  4. band — a music group
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. object — an aim
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. press — to push
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. press — a publisher
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. object — to protest
  16. band — a ring
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chair — to sit on

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