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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: lean · rock · staff · cold · mine · kick · press · roll

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rock — a stone
  3. press — newspapers
  4. staff — employees
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. staff — employees
  13. roll — a cake
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — in football
  17. roll — a list
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rock — music
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kick — with a leg

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