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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — of water
  3. clip — a video
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — electric
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. press — a publisher
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. press — to push
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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