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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bat — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. press — to push
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lean — thin
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a friend
  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