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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: press · foot · stem · rash · pass · wound · hide · straw

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stem — to come from
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rash — a series
  24. press — to push

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