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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: rest · last · foot · jam · spring · toast · press · hide

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. spring — the season
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spring — of water
  15. toast — bread
  16. last — final
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. press — to push
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — finally
  23. spring — a coil
  24. toast — the most admired

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