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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: lean · rash · stand · kid · straw · foot · suit · press

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — in cards
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. press — newspapers
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rash — a series
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rash — hasty
  16. press — to push
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kid — child
  20. lean — thin
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — a measure
  24. kid — to tease

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