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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
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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: staff · squash · saw · bay · present · tear · bore · press

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. present — a gift
  9. staff — employees
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — the time now
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tear — to rip
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to tire
  23. present — there
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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