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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: press · mine · staff · bound · squash · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bound — certain
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. bound — obliged
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. staff — employees
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  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