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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: fine · lash · field · press · stand · mate · rock · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. field — a subject
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mate — to breed
  7. press — to push
  8. field — farmland
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rock — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. stand — to bear
  15. press — a publisher
  16. field — for sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — a partner

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