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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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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: kick · press · cell · foot · staff · lean

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. press — to push
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lean — to bend
  13. press — a publisher
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kick — in football
  17. foot — a measure
  18. 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