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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: club · lean · press · ball · rest · clip · staff · fan

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rest — a break
  3. club — for dancing
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. staff — employees
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — a publisher
  11. club — a group
  12. rest — what's left
  13. club — for golf
  14. lean — to bend
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lean — thin
  23. staff — employees
  24. clip — a video

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