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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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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: straw · perch · squash · rest · press · stand · file · rash

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. file — a tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rash — hasty
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. squash — the sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — to bear
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. file — a document
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rash — a series
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rest — a break
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rest — what's left
  23. press — to push
  24. stand — on your feet

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