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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: rush · press · bay · mine · straw · staff · court · coach

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rush — hurry
  4. court — of law
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — of a king
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. press — to push
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. coach — a trainer

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