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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. clip — for paper
  5. press — a publisher
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — the season
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. clip — a video
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. dip — a sauce

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