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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — to push
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth

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