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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.

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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: fork · staff · lash · court · stand · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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 — to push
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — for sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — for spectators
  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