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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 120 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: rest · press · key · scale · bear · straw · file · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a document
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. key — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. press — a publisher
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — a break
  18. scale — in music
  19. firm — steady
  20. file — a line of people
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. file — a tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. key — for a lock

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