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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: row · lean · straw · nail · lie · bear · press · staff

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. row — a line
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — newspapers
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — to push
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. press — a publisher

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