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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 · press · rush · firm · bear · date · march · lash

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rush — hurry
  5. press — newspapers
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. press — a publisher
  9. march — music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — to push
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — decided
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — to hurry

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