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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: press · saw · lash · stand · lean · band · date · club

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. press — a publisher
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. lean — thin
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. stand — to bear
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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