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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. march — music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a partner
  20. press — a publisher
  21. can — to be able to
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a dance
  24. can — a tin

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