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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: fine · board · press · straw · date · lean · leaves · mug

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mug — to rob
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mug — a cup
  8. board — to get on
  9. lean — thin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — to push
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — a committee
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fine — all right
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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