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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. last — finally
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. press — to push
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — to go on
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. last — final
  22. club — a group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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