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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 116 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: straw · staff · rule · press · court · season · bear · lash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. press — to push
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rule — a law
  9. court — of law
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — government
  12. season — in sport
  13. court — for sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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