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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. staff — employees
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — the time now
  9. press — a publisher
  10. present — there
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — a gift
  13. staff — a stick
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bound — tied together
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. press — to push

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