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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 116 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: straw · racket · pound · lean · pass · pop · rest · press

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — a break
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lean — to bend
  24. press — newspapers

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