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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.

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: press · staff · straw · fan · jam · wake · bank · chest

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — a publisher
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chest — of your body
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chest — a box
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. staff — employees
  24. bank — for money

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