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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 · bank · press · foot · staff · court · plane · mine

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bank — of a river
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. court — of law
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — dry grass

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