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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: press · key · lean · leaves · field · stem · last · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. field — a subject
  4. last — to go on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. last — finally
  7. key — for a lock
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — to come from
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lean — thin
  16. field — farmland
  17. key — the most important part
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — final
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. key — in music
  22. field — for sport
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stem — of a plant

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