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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: row · fine · kick · rush · straw · press · foot · cabinet

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fine — all right
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. row — a line
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — in football
  16. press — to push
  17. rush — hurry
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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