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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: press · cap · present · suit · straw · bore · key · rush

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. present — the time now
  5. key — the most important part
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — a gift
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cap — a lid
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. present — there
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. key — in music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. suit — to fit

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