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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 120 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 · press · object · file · key · stand · can · rush

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. can — a tin
  4. press — newspapers
  5. can — to be able to
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — a publisher
  9. key — the most important part
  10. object — to protest
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. object — an aim
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. file — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — to push
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — hurry
  21. key — for a lock
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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