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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
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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 · hand · straw · bay · mouse · mine · plane · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — help
  6. press — to push
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mine — for digging
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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