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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: press · staff · ruler · stand · kick · present

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. present — the time now
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — there
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. press — to push
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — a stick

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