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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · mine · press · kick · rush · bay · court · hand

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. court — of law
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hand — in cards

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