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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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 — a publisher
  2. dip — to sink
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ground — crushed
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. press — newspapers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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