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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: spring · fine · press · bowl · kid · rash · cue · straw

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kid — child
  7. rash — a series
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spring — of water
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — the season
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cue — a hint
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rash — hasty

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