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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · spring · mouse · press · lie · jam · straw · ruler

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. court — of law
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spring — of water
  22. court — of a king
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. court — for sport

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