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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: lean · field · press · bound · suit · wave · staff · rush

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lean — thin
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. field — a subject
  19. staff — a stick
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — certain
  22. press — a publisher
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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