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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. shower — rain
  4. press — newspapers
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rule — government
  8. object — to protest
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. object — a thing
  11. rule — a law
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — a publisher
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. press — to push
  17. bass — low music
  18. object — an aim

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