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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — to sink
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. shower — rain
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — thin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to bend
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. wound — an injury
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. shower — to wash

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