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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 · nail · racket · spring · season · bass · leaves · straw

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. press — newspapers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — to push
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — a publisher
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — of the year
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. season — in sport
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the fish

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